“ The future success of radiologists and their organizations demands embracing health care reform as an opportunity to re-evaluate their standard assumptions and existing approaches to delivering imaging services. Success in the new era of health care reform will require that radiologists redefine their mission and purpose, develop strategies for identifying and achieving their new goals, and implement new approaches to evaluate and track progress toward the achievement of those goals.”

“To be successful, radiology groups will have to restructure their business practices and strategies to align with the emerging health care paradigm. This article outlines a four-stage strategic framework that has aided corporations in achieving their goals and that can be readily adapted and applied by radiologists. The four stages are (a) definition and articulation of a purpose, (b) clear definition of strategic goals, (c) prioritization of specific strategic enablers, and (d) implementation of processes for tracking progress and enabling continuous adaptation.”

“Historically, radiologists competing in a fee-for-service environment have measured their business performance by using volume-based metrics (eg, numbers of diagnostic and interventional procedures performed, as a total and by modality) and revenue-based metrics (professional relative-value units, gross charges per full-time employee and by modality) . Previously, radiology managers’ notion of success was defined as yearly revenue growth, increase in the annual number of imaging examinations, and an increased rate of return on investment. In the new era of health care reform, these parameters are no longer adequate for measuring the success of radiology services.”

“For each enterprise or institution, the name is inextricably attached to the value of the brand. It is the responsibility of the enterprise or institution to make sure the attributes and values attached to the brand are upheld, ensuring that the brand equity is maintained or improved. Why? Because the brand helps attract customers and attract the best staff and allows a company to charge a premium for its products and services.”

“Once your brand experience is established and equity is accrued, it is paramount to protect that eq- uity. If your institution were a chain of fine hotels, say the Four Seasons, what would happen to the brand equity if one of the properties did not provide the same level of service as the others? Or if the hotel you always stayed in suddenly began to erode in quality? Would your opinion of the whole chain change? Would you still recommend it as your favorite place to stay? Probably not. Consistency is key, and it’s something the entire organization has to believe in and convey.”

“Perception is crucial. Health care facilities can positively affect patients’ perceptions by ameliorating the experience surrounding the delivery of health care itself. A relative of mine recounts the experience of undergoing a thyroidectomy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. The family waited in a beautifully appointed waiting room, could be easily contacted using a sensor device loaned to them by the hospital, and were able to follow the journey of their loved one on a monitor, also via sensor. This was not only comforting for the family but, just as importantly, gave them a sense that the facility was indeed state of the art.”

“The kinds of people who work in your company matter: When you consider a candidate, include a personality test, strive to hire happy, empathetic people, and then keep them that way. Create an environment that fosters that type of personality and ensure that peer employees partici- pate in the process. Have potential hires interviewed by their peers so that the entire team is invested in the new employee’s success.”

“Employees should understand that they are all ambassadors of the brand. In your institution, your patients are bound to have many interactions with various employees before they meet you. Some patients will share their experiences on social media. Alongside many excellent reviews celebrating the superb care offered by your institution, one can read other comments lamenting the long wait times, dirty chairs in the waiting room of the emergency department, and perceived rudeness of some of the staff members. Through social media, negative per- ceptions can be spread to large audiences, adversely affecting your brand.”

“A brand does not live inside the walls of a company. It lives in the hearts and minds of your patients, your employees, and your community. And your brand is even more emotionally charged than almost all others. For your patients, your brand is in their hands because their life is in your hands.”

Radiology personnel: Receptionists and technologists are the face of a practice. We have to invest in them and promote a patient-friendly and efficiency culture. Physical layout: Although radiologists justifiably focus on acquiring state-of-the-art equipment, well-designed facilities project an image of competence and efficiency. Communication: Radiologists need to embrace opportunities to reach out to patients, for example, by making themselves available to answer potential questions through a phone number or e-mail address included in the report.”

“In my field of marketing, stories are often more important than hard facts because a brand or company’s stories shape its reality. I believe a company’s destiny follows its story. Companies that want to increase their market share and change their destiny need to begin by sharing their story, and the story must be carefully crafted to instill in the viewer a sense of the character of the business, not just the product they sell.”

“A company’s story is not just a vehicle to sell its product, but can also be used to humanize the customer’s relationship with the organization. Some marketing campaigns have focused on sharing the personality of the company’s employees, which transforms the customer’s view of the company from a corporation to a consortium of talented, engaging individuals. The company is personalized by introducing the people who drive its operations as people rather than “divisions.” .

“A radiology practice’s success hinges on attracting the best staff and providers. Recruitment campaigns should create marketing materials that incorporate images and video to best convey the character and the mission of the organization. People want to be part of organizations that have an important mission .”

“Similarly, residency and fellowship training programs can engage medical student applicants with online video clips designed to illustrate the resident culture. One of the most common metrics that students describe in their decision-making process is “whether I feel like it’s a good fit.” Web-based resources that tell the story of life within a department can be very effective in the competitive recruitment arena. Additionally, telling the story of how other successful trainees have gone on to become leaders in the field is a powerful draw, because it could become the applicant’s story.”

“At Saxbys, we recognized that the best team members for our business have the same three personal traits: they’re outgoing, detail oriented, and disciplined. Or, as we say, they’re “O.D.D.” Regard- less of their prior work experience, they must possess these three traits.”

“We hire engaging people who embrace the importance of a positive human experience and accordingly believe in the business model with passion. As a result, our team members love the company and want to contribute to its overall quality.”

Golden Rule: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Platinum Rule: “Treat others the way they want to be treated.” Double Platinum Rule: “Treat others the way they don’t even know they want to be treated.”

“Radiology departments need to be proactive to facilitate a positive experience for the patient. Patients who are referred to radiology begin their experience when they call to schedule the examination and complete the experi- ence when their physician explains the results of the test.”

“Careful selection of receptionists, radiology nurses, and technologists with these three skills is essential to running a department that provides a positive experience for a patient. Because of the intrinsic unpleasantries of any medical procedure, our staff needs to go above and beyond and embrace the Double Platinum Rule: “Treat others the way they don’t even know they want to be treated.” Anticipate patients’ needs and exceed their expectations.”

“Radiology residencies need to select medical students who are outgoing, detail-oriented, and disciplined and instill in trainees the importance of excellent customer service for their patients and ordering providers. Radiologists who welcome interaction, who are receptive to consultations, and who generate interpretations that effectively and efficiently guide patient management provide a positive experience for the referring providers. This is the business model that will ensure practice longevity as we transition to a value-based health care system.”

“Being prepared for any scenario is critical. Although there are situations in which we have many months to prepare for a project, there are also situations in which we have only a few hours to execute a project from start to finish. Clients recognize when you are (or aren’t) prepared for any eventuality, and it has a real impact on whether they are ready to trust you with their business in the future.”

The Ability to Multitask Effectively While Ensuring That All Customers Understand That They Are the Priority. Tinari M, Fishman EK, Horton KM, Raman SP. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Oct;13(10):1279-1280

“Ultimately, the result is letting our clients know that they are our priority, even while we are multitasking. We want to effectively convey to all of our clients the full confidence that they are our primary concern and focus of attention.”

The Ability to Multitask Effectively While Ensuring That All Customers Understand That They Are the Priority. Tinari M, Fishman EK, Horton KM, Raman SP. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Oct;13(10):1279-1280

“Communication is key for my job as a marketer, as people won’t tell you answers to questions you don’t ask. Connecting with people, communi- cating effectively, and relating to others’ thoughts and ideas are invalu- able to success. Communication does not always require you to speak, but rather to listen. Listening allows you to comprehend others’ perspectives and also allows you to connect and understand them.”

The Ability to Multitask Effectively While Ensuring That All Customers Understand That They Are the Priority. Tinari M, Fishman EK, Horton KM, Raman SP. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Oct;13(10):1279-1280

“It’s critical to understand your audience and the purpose of your business. Only when you are truly informed about your business and your clients can you effectively communicate, and that requires communication and research.”

The Ability to Multitask Effectively While Ensuring That All Customers Understand That They Are the Priority. Tinari M, Fishman EK, Horton KM, Raman SP. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Oct;13(10):1279-1280

“No one gets to the top without a team. Be a team player. I wouldn’t be able to garner press or new business without every single other person at TAIT. It’s important to recognize your strengths and recog- nize the strengths of others. Most important, take time to inspire and be inspired by one another.”

The Ability to Multitask Effectively While Ensuring That All Customers Understand That They Are the Priority. Tinari M, Fishman EK, Horton KM, Raman SP. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Oct;13(10):1279-1280

“Passion about our business is what truly keeps me going on a daily basis. Keep setting goals, take time to appreciate your achievements, and don’t listen to the noise.”

The Ability to Multitask Effectively While Ensuring That All Customers Understand That They Are the Priority. Tinari M, Fishman EK, Horton KM, Raman SP. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Oct;13(10):1279-1280

“Just as Ms. Tinari does in her own business, we must take the time to talk with our clients, to learn what they like or don’t like about the ways in which we conduct our business, and treat them as customers. Our customers often have strong opinions about how we run our radiology businesses, and we must take the time to talk with them and learn how we can do better.”

The Ability to Multitask Effectively While Ensuring That All Customers Understand That They Are the Priority. Tinari M, Fishman EK, Horton KM, Raman SP. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Oct;13(10):1279-1280

“That stands in stark contrast to many radiology groups, whose physicians take great interest in the imaging part of their business but don’t take the time to learn about how things are going in other parts of the business (such as marketing, patient relations, nursing, etc). Radiologists are often blind to several very important facets of their own business, and this has the potential to be very dangerous to a practice’s long-term financial health.”

The Ability to Multitask Effectively While Ensuring That All Customers Understand That They Are the Priority. Tinari M, Fishman EK, Horton KM, Raman SP. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Oct;13(10):1279-1280